Sudanese army, allied fighters repel major RSF attack on El Fasher

October 17, 2025 (EL FASHER) – The Sudanese army and allied armed movements on Friday repelled a coordinated, three-pronged attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.

A commander in the joint force, a coalition of armed groups allied with the army, said the RSF attacked the city from the north, northeast, and northwest at dawn. He added that the attacking forces suffered “heavy losses in lives and equipment.”

The commander stated that after the ground assault failed, the RSF began intensive artillery shelling of residential areas and shelters for displaced people within El Fasher.

In a statement, the army’s 6th Infantry Division confirmed it had pushed back the attack, claiming its forces, along with the joint force, destroyed 10 RSF combat vehicles and seized two others.

The governor of the Darfur region, Minni Arko Minawi, praised the city’s defenders and residents for their courage.

“The sons and daughters of El Fasher have written a new page in the history of steadfastness… despite the long siege, hunger, and destruction,” Minawi, who also leads the Sudan Liberation Movement, wrote on his Facebook account.

The RSF has been besieging El Fasher, the last army stronghold in the vast Darfur region, since May 2024, as it seeks to consolidate its control over the territory.